I'll Always Be There
by allycat22
Summary: this is a prequel of sorts to my story Broken. Killian is in the hospital, unhappy to find he is still alive


I'll Always Be There

After Killian had jumped in front of the fast moving contraption he didn't really remember what transpired. Everything had quickly faded to black and his only coherent thought had been _Finally._

When he next opened his eyes, Hook was blinded by the brightest white he had ever seen. He sighed as he accepted that he had indeed died, he had finally found peace and he should be seeing Milah.

Minutes ticked past and his eyes began to adjust and he soon realized that he was on some sort of cot and that he was in a building. There was a beeping noise coming from his left and the shuffle of footsteps could be heard in the distance. Killian sat up, frowning. _I'm not dead. Why the bloody hell aren't I dead?_

Killian didn't care where he was anymore. He had failed: he couldn't kill the crocodile and he wasn't going to see Milah and now he was stuck in this fucking world with nothing but his ship and a whole host of new injuries.

Closing his eyes, Hook choked back a broken sob. Three hundred years wasted in anger and he had nothing.

There was a slight pressure on his good hand and Killian turned his head to peer at the new visitor. "Milah," he breathed.

"Hello, love." She looked beautiful. Long dark hair and bright eyes. He was ashamed of the mental picture he'd been holding on to. The real her made his version pale in comparison.

"How? You," he couldn't bring himself to say it. "I saw it happen."

She smiled kindly down at him, brushing his hair out of his eyes, "I've always been here Killian. I live in you." She motioned towards his heart with her head, cupping his cheek.

Killian looked down, unable to meet her eyes. "I have no heart. It was lost when I lost you."

"No." She brought his eyes back to her own, "You may have abandoned it but your heart is still there. Still beating. Still good."

"I miss you. So much," he whispered brokenly, Hook's voice catching at the end.

Milah's smile faltered, "I miss you too. But I want you to find peace, you can't go on like this Killian."

"I will never find peace. Not until I'm d-"

"No," he gaze hardened. "This is not the man I loved. This is not Killian Jones. I need you to move on. Live again. _Love_ again."

He looked up at her pleading expression, "How could you want that? Why would you want me to?" Hook was almost angry that she would think herself to easy to forget.

"Because you deserve it. You deserve to be cared for and loved. Pain doesn't suit you, love." She clasped his hand tighter, "I'll always be in your heart."

She released his hand and began to fade away, "Milah! No! Come back, please!" But she was gone and Killian was left with only her memory once again.

He reached a hand out and gasped loudly as his eyes popped open again. _Of course it was a dream. She's dead. You know she's dead._ Killian shook his head mulling over the conversation that had transpired. _Pain doesn't suit you_. It was the outfit he had worn for nearly three hundred years, shedding it seemed too difficult.

Staring at the ceiling he heard light footsteps approaching, he assumed it would be one of the people in charge of this still unknown location and closed his eyes in an effort to avoid conversation.

"How the fuck did you manage to make it to my world?" His eyes snapped open at the sound of her angry voice.

Killian sat up, staring at her. He wasn't going to answer her. It was none of Emma bloody Swan's business how he got here, what he did or what his plans were. Killian had no intention of showing her any hint of emotion or sign that he was at all changed by the backstabbing wench's sudden appearance.

Emma stared hard at his face. Her glare softened slightly as she recognized the subtle signs of pain. They were what she saw reflected back at her every day for eleven months. "We'll talk about what happened to you later."

Hook was surprised by her rapid change of tone but still refused to speak.

Emma took his silence as agreement, _Not like he's going to have a choice_. "Just listen to the doctors and nurses. They're going to help you, not hurt you so don't be difficult." And with that she walked off.

_How is it that she always bests me?_


End file.
